1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus capable of recording an moving image and a still image, a method for controlling the image pickup apparatus, a program used to control the image pickup apparatus, a data processing apparatus, a data processing method, and a data processing program. The present invention particularly relates to a configuration in which a still image is recorded while a moving image is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, different methods for scanning image pickup elements are employed for different cameras such as digital still cameras which mainly capture still images and digital video cameras which mainly capture moving images so that suitable methods are employed in accordance with types of images to be captured. Such a scanning method considerably affects an entire system. In recent years, digital still cameras include image pickup elements which realize several million pixels or more. In such a digital still camera, in order to record a still image of a high resolution, an image signal obtained by a successive-scanning operation performed every 1/30 minute or more is output from an image pickup element. On the other hand, in an example of general digital video cameras, in order to attain a high resolution of a moving image, a method for obtaining an image signal by interlace scanning performed every 1/60 minute is generally employed.
It is assumed that a moving image and a still image are recorded in parallel using a single image pickup apparatus by appropriately selecting a scanning method of an image pickup element depending on intended usage.
For example, in a system in which quality of a recorded still image is to be emphasized, since a moving image is recorded as images obtained by the successive-scanning operation performed every 1/30 or more, a resolution of the obtained moving image may be low. On the other hand, in a system in which quality of a recorded moving image is to be emphasized, a still image may be obtained from a single moving image when an instruction of recording of a still image is issued (by pressing a shutter button, for example). In this case, since basic image-quality processing including a color-difference correction operation and a gamma correction operation which is mainly suitable for moving images is performed, the processing may not be suitable for still images.
Furthermore, in a case where a function of recording a moving image and a function of recording a still image are intended to be simultaneously realized using a single image pickup element and a processing unit so that a high-quality moving image and a high-quality still image are to be obtained, entire operation of the image pickup element including a scanning method should be changed as usage. Therefore, when an instruction of recording of a still image of a high resolution is issued while a moving image is recorded, an operation of controlling the image pickup element and processing performed on an image pickup signal should be changed. Accordingly, while an operation of obtaining a still image is performed, supply of an image pickup signal which is suitable for a moving image and which is output from the image pickup element is stopped, and therefore, the moving image may be discontinuously recorded in terms of time.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-44531 discloses a technique of avoiding discontinuity of recording of a moving image which occurs due to recording of a still image. According to this document, a still image of a high resolution can be obtained without deteriorating a resolution and quality of a moving image by outputting an image pickup signal representing a resolution higher than that of the moving image every N-times a cycle of the moving image (N is equal to or larger than 2).